Fountain toothbrush



Dec. 31, 1940. L. R. HILL ETAL FOUNTAIN TOOTHBRUSH Filed April 24. 1939 Inventors Lee B. /7/'// By at /liiomeys Patented Dec. 31, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a fountain toothbrush, and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character which will permit teeth and gums of the mouth to be cleaned and treated 5 more easily and thoroughly than through the use of a conventional type of toothbrush and has provision for the storage of a quantity of the cleaning and treating agent therein with means for conveniently ejecting said agent in desired amounts onto the bristles of the brush for transmission thereby onto the teeth and gums of the mouth, the devicebeing further constructed to permit easy adjustment thereof to close the agent from escape therefrom during nonuse of the device.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and 0 claimed.

For a complete understanding of our invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating a fountain toothbrush constructed in accordance with our invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the device.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view illus trating the valve means for efiecting closing of the reservoir to thebrush head.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken through the reservoir and showing the valve means for effecting the closing of the reservoir to the brush head.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates a handle of a toothbrush which is of hollow cylindrical shape having one end externally screw threaded, as shown at 6, and its opposite end internally screw threaded, as shown at l. The brush head is indicated by the character 8 on which is mounted a plurality of tufts of bristles 9. Integral with the brush head 8 is a shank III, a portion of which is of increased diameter over' the remaining portion or the portion on which the brush head is formed. The enlarged portion isprovided with a reduced externally screw threaded part II for threading into the internally screw threaded end of the handle. The brush head is provided with a passage i2 which also extends through the shank l0 having direct communication with the interior of the handle 5 when the latter is mounted on the shank.

The brush head carries a series of jets l3 arranged between the tufts of bristles and in direct communication with the passage l2. The jets l3 may readily yield under force being constructed of rubber'or any other material suitable for the purpose and the free ends thereof terminate short 5 of the free ends of the bristles, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Threaded on the externally screw threaded end of the handle 5 is a cap I preferably of the flanged type in which the flange is internally 1o screw threaded to match the external screw threads 6 on the handle and the cap is provided with a centrally arranged opening to receive an ejector element 15 including a tubular neck I6 having integrally with opposite ends flange? ll 15 and I8. The flange I1 is received within the cap and is clamped between the latter and a washer I4 located at the end of the handle when the cap is threaded onto said handle establishing a leakproof connection between the ejector 20 and the handle. The flange I8 lies outwardly of the cap and has formed thereon a dome-shaped portion l9 capable of being flexed toward and from the handle.

The dome-shaped portion I!) of the ejector 2! element is capable of flexation being constructed of rubber or some other similar material and when pressure is applied this part will move toward the handle and when the pressure is released will assume normal position. This action of the portion l9 will draw air into the handle by way of the passage l2 and expel air from said handle by way of the passage. The flange I8 will be flush with cap it. The dome-shaped portion I9 may readily flex inwardly and outwardly with respect to the neck when pressure is applied and released thereon.

It is preferable that a gasket 20 be arranged between the handle and the shank II! where these parts thread together to prevent leakage. 40

The passage l2 when opening outwardly through the shank into the handle is arranged eccentrically of the handle and the shank, as clearly shown in Figure 2. A valve disc 2| is mounted in the handle adjacent its internally 45 screw threaded end and has a port 22 adapted to .move into and out of registration with the passage l2 by the rotation of the handle in operably in liquid form, the cap H is removed and on replacement a certain amount oi air will be trapped in the handle along with the agent. To use the device, the handle is rotated to open the passage II to the interior or the handle and pressure is applied and released on the portion is of the ejector element. This action on the ejector element will force the agent through the passage and jets onto the bristles and by carefully actuating the ejector with one finger the amount of the agent placed on the bristles may be readily controlled.

After the desired amount of the agent has been applied to the bristles the handle may be rotated in an opposite direction to bring about ciosingoi' the passage l2 to the interior of the handle which will prevent escape and consequently waste of the agent either during the time of use of the toothbrush on the teeth and gums of the mouth or when the brush is in non-use.

It is preferable that the head, shank and handle be constructed of a suitable transparent material and while the ejector and jets are constructed of rubber and the bristles of fibrous material it will be seen that no metal is employed consequently obviating corrosion or the possibility of ailfecting the agent by contact with metal.

A toothbrush of the character described and shown in the drawing is economical to manufacture and will be durable and easily operated and will have the advantage of applying the agent directly onto the bristles as needed so that the bristles may transmit the agent onto the teeth and gums of the mouth.

It is believed that the simplicity and advantages of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this device relates, and while we have herein set forth a satisfactory embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that such changes therefrom as fairly fall within the scope of our claim may be resorted to when desired. v

What is claimed is:

A fountain toothbrush comprising a shank including a head carrying spaced tufts of bristles and provided with a longitudinally extending passage, a plurality of flexible hollow discharge fingers carried by said head positioned between said bunches of bristles and extending approximately to the outer ends thereof, said e having communication with said hollow fingers, a handle reservoir connected to said shank, valve means between said handle reservoir and shank, a flexible ejector means formed with an annular flange seated on the rear end of said handle reservoir, and a second annular flange thicker than said first mentioned flange and spaced therefrom, a

threaded locking ferrule carried by said ejector means disposed between said flanges and arranged for threaded encasement with said handle reservoir for locking said ejector means thereon.

LEE R. HILL. ALBERT G. SUMMER. 

